Ballyroney Bridge, Tirkelly Hill Road, Ballyroney, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32

Ballyroney Bridge is a twin-arch masonry road bridge spanning the River Bann, constructed in granite probably in the mid-19th century. It exemplifies the type of Grand Jury bridge built to improve local infrastructure at a historic crossing point.

The bridge is constructed throughout in granite. The abutments and piers are of coursed masonry blocks, now underpinned with concrete. Domed rounded cutwaters are positioned at both ends of the pier, rising to arch spring level; a stone has been dislodged from the upstream cutwater. The two equi-sized arches are of segmental profile with finely dressed voussoirs and random rubble soffits. A string course runs across the bridge at arch crown level. The spandrels and parapets are of squared random rubble, brought to courses, with parapets coped with out-projecting blocks. Shallow pilasters rise at the bank ends of both arches to parapet level. Similar pilasters at both ends of the bridge continue upward to form parapet terminal piers. An electric cable has been carried across the bridge faces via the underside of the left-bank (east) arch.

The bridge demonstrates good workmanship, particularly in its ornamentation of voussoirs, cutwater, string course, pilasters, parapet copings and terminal piers.

An 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir describes an earlier structure at this location: a much older bridge of three small arches with three flood arches on the northern bank, supposedly several hundred years old. The present bridge is therefore a later replacement, almost certainly constructed by the County Down Grand Jury between 1840 and 1859 and visible on the second edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map of 1859.

A small weir lies a short distance downstream, presumably designed to slow the current under the bridge and minimise undercutting. The village of Ballyroney to the north contains historic structures including Ballyroney Presbyterian Church and the former post office.